Wonderwall
by firewhiskeYMuffins
Summary: Two children struggle to find friendship, love, and to prove that even orphans can find happiness. TeddyVictoire TeddyOC.DH spoilers! New Generation. Review please!
1. The First Meeting

**DISCLAIMER: The world of ****Harry Potter**** and all the characters that live in it belong to J.K. Rowling**

**WARNING: This story has DH spoilers.  
**

**Summary: Two children struggle to find friendship, love, and to prove that even orphans can find happiness**

**Prologue: A First Meeting**

_And all the roads we have to walk are winding_

_And all the lights that lead us there are blinding_

_There are many things that I would_

_Like to say to you_

_I don't know how_

_Because maybe_

_You're gonna be the one who saves me?_

_And after all_

_You're my wonderwall._

_-_Wonderwall by Oasis

Teddy John Lupin couldn't help but wonder if this day would mean more to him if his parents were alive.

It wasn't that Harry and Ginny weren't wonderful surrogate parents- in fact, it was anything but. They were there when he needed them most, they treated him as their own, and they were supportive. It wasn't their fault in the slightest.

But he couldn't help thinking that, maybe, if Remus and Nymphadora Lupin were there, giving him proud looks and badgering him about being good, getting good grades, and not to do anything stupid, that he would actually be proud of himself. That he wouldn't feel so dead inside.

Maybe if the little girl in Ginny's arms was his sister, or the two boys tottering around King's Cross were his brothers, all of this would seem… real.

"Don't forget your books, Teddy." Ginny placed his books on top of his suitcase. The edge of a photo poked out of _Hogwarts: A History, Newly Updated. _It showed a small hand holding a large, weathered one. He was familiar with the picture. He clenched his hand, trying to find that memory for the zillionth time.

"Well, Ted. Off you go." Harry gave Teddy a one-sided hug. Teddy responded with a weak smile.

He hated himself for thinking that the well-worn, handsome man he'd seen in photographs should be the one seeing him off.

Avira Rowan looked out at the train station as the taxi pulled up at Kings Cross Station. She didn't really know what to expect, but this wasn't it. It was crowded with people bustling around trying to catch their trains or get home. She thanked the taxi driver and handed him the money for the fair that she was borrowing from the orphanage. She stepped out of the taxi and watched it drive away before slipping further into the crowd. She was used to being unnoticed by large crowds, and soon she was standing in front of piece of wall between Platforms 9 and 10 in confusion. This was nothing like she had ever experienced, and she hoped dearly that she didn't mess up and have to be sent back to the orphanage.

"Keep moving!" A business man barked at her as he pushed her angrily out of her way.

She sighed softly as she picked herself up off the ground where she was pushed. She turned to glare at the business man, just to realize that she couldn't see him anymore, nor could she see anything else that had just been around her. She looked to where she had just come, and realized in shock that she had fallen through the wall. She looked the other way and gasped in amazement.

In front of her was the most amazing thing she had ever seen: a bright red train that was pulled up at the platform. She picked up her luggage and stepped forward. Suddenly, she was looking at an entirely different sort of people. Families wearing the strange clothing she had seen only when she had ventured into Diagon Alley for that brief time.

Everywhere there were parents hugging their children and wishing them the best of luck, and to behave. Avi bit her lip as she felt a pang in her heart. All these people had families who cared for them, and that was all Avi had ever wanted.

She slumped her shoulders and looked down at the ground, before starting to push her way through the crowd just like she had in the outer station, and made her way for the train that had only moments ago fascinated her.

Teddy pushed through the crowd, ignoring all the shouts to him, knowing that it was just more people that he didn't know. He walked up behind a girl who looked as if she was alone, in her own little island of the crowd. "Hey, uh, are you new to... you know, the wizarding scene?"

Avi turned quickly around to face the voice behind her, before breathing a sigh of relief when she saw she was looking at a boy her age. "Is it that obvious?" She felt a bit out of place and embarrassed.

He paused. "Yeah, a little, but that's okay. I assume you're Muggleborn, and it's all kind of overwhelming for someone who isn't familiar with-" He waved his hands. "This."

"It's a bit intimidating." She admitted. Looking down at the ground, she added, "For all I know, I could be a pureblood"

He paused, a bit confused, tripping over his suitcase. "Oh, really? You..." he paused meaningfully. "You not know your parents, then?"

Avi shook her head slowly. "I was orphaned in the war."

He stumbled forward, smiling happily, despite the topic. "As was I. Who were your parents?" He stepped up onto the train, looking behind him to watch the girl.

"I don't know," She murmured.

"Oh. Right." He cleared his throat. "Mine were Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin. They died by the hands of death eaters." He looked down, a little sadly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, she felt like someone had grabbed her heart and tried to squeeze everything out of it. He was just like her.

"It's okay. I didn't know them. I have surrogate parents, and I'm sure they're just as good." Lie. "You want to sit together? You're probably the only person I've actually talked to except for my cousins." Lie. They weren't his cousins, they were his adoptive cousins. "I'd appreciate it." Truth.

Avi couldn't help a smile from spreading on her face. "Okay" She agreed, happy to have found someone who would talk to her. In the back of her mind, she thought that he was so lucky that he had someone who would be his parents, surrogate or not, but she didn't mention it.

"Alright," He grinned. "We'll find a compartment then... ah. This one looks good."

"AY, TED!"

Teddy inwardly groaned at the use of that infernal nickname, but turned around and waved at whoever was speaking. "Okay, duck in quick. I don't want to try to socialize." He said all this with the smile plastered to his face.

Avi gave him an odd look, but ducked into the compartment quickly, nonetheless. Once in the compartment, she walked over to the window, and looked out of it.

Teddy followed her, and then closed the door behind them. "Sorry for that. It's just that with all my 'parents' being legends... everyone seems to want to know me." He shrugged. "It sounds horrible, I know, but I've just grown to hate being introduced to people who I'm supposed to know."

"At least you know anyone at all." Avi turned around to look at Teddy. "That's something."

He laughed weakly. "I'd imagine. I'm sorry, I don't mean to... how do I word this... make myself seem less well-off. I'm lucky, and I know a lot of people would love to be in my position. I'm just ungrateful, that's all." He shrugged. "I'm sorry... I haven't asked your name."

"Avira Rowan... well Avi is what people call me. I don't know if Rowan is my real last name or not." She let out a slight laugh. "Then again, I don't know if Avira's my real first name either."

She looked out of the window where families were still gathered outside of the train, and cringed slightly, looking away again.

"Teddy Lupin." He settled down into one of the seats. "Well... uh... who do you stay with?" His hair changed for the first time on the platform, shifting into a warm red-brown from the original sandy blonde color.

Avi watched in surprise as his hair changed, but didn't comment. "I live in an orphanage in London," She replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Muggle London, that is."

"Well, then, how are you so familiar with wizarding slang? Muggle, pureblood... you got through the pillar well enough, and you must have been to Diagon Alley. Staff member?"

"A professor got my letter to me, but I found out most of it for myself. One thing that I learned while living in the orphanage, is how to listen and pick up on everything people say." She cracked a smile "I was pushed through the pillar by accident"

"Huh. That's really odd. They normally send a staff member for those new to the Wizarding community." He looked at her, confused. "How'd you get into Diagon Alley? You can only get in through the Leaky Cauldron."

"Well, the professor told me to go to the Leaky Cauldron. He had to rush off. He didn't say why. I managed okay, though"

"How'd you get through the bricks?!" Teddy was literally on the edge of his seat.

Avi smiled. "I stood there forever trying to figure out how to get to Diagon Alley. I was eventually lucky enough that someone actually had to get through to Diagon Alley. I just followed them in."

"God, you're clever." Teddy sat back in his seat, smiling admirably at Avi. "You seem to adapt to anything, though I guess you have to."

Avi had a good justification for that, "We went through like five different orphanage owners. You had to adapt or you'd be in trouble"

"I guess so!"

"It's no big deal really. Just go with the flow and chances are you'll turn out alright."

"That's very deep, Avi." He was comfortable, now. His true self started to poke out. "So, with your knowledge of our world, are you planning on getting into any house in particular?"

She sighed, "I don't care where I end up." This answer meant more to her than just what house she'd end up in.

Teddy noticed.

"That seems more general than house placement to me." He said, a little concerned.

"I never had a choice to where I end up. I dont' see why it'll matter now." This didn't seem to bother her very much.

"That's all very well, if you think that way." Teddy shrugged, trying to hide his instincts to be all big-brotherly. You get that way when you have three younger surrogate siblings. "But I think that anyone can be what they want to if they try."

"Life is never a piece of cake for orphans... well, the ones in the orphanage, I mean. Maybe Hogwarts changes that." She sounded doubtful.

"I hope so. What's it worth if it doesn't?"

Avi shrugged. Teddy tightened his lips to the outburst of dreams he had been fed all his life and glanced towards the window. "I guess we're moving."

Avi followed his gaze to the window outside. Smiling, she watches the scenery pass by. She really loved everything about the train. She had never been on one before. She looked back at Teddy, noticing he wasn't nearly as amazed as she was.

He looked at her expectant gaze. "Er, pretty, innit?" He smiled, looking back out.

She flushed slightly, and pulled herself back to her seat. "It really is."

"So, uh, hey, you want to meet my cousins? Get acquainted with a few people?" Teddy smiled. He loved to be the one doing the introducing.

Teddy grinned and motioned for her to follow him down the hall. He opened the door and started strolling down the corridor when a voice came to his ears:

"Oh, yeah, we know loads of spells. We can beat the pants off of some Gryffindor wuss."

He stopped abruptly and turned. "Oh, really?"

Avi spun around as soon as she heard the voice. She looked over her shoulder at Teddy. She wasn't sure how Teddy was going to act to this, but she was never one to cower away from anything.

The dark-haired one stood up. "Yeah, really. And you are?"

"I'm Teddy Lupin. You?"

"Oh, you. I know you. I'm Gerard Avery. And my father-"

"It doesn't matter, the war's over. Your father's in Azkaban, mine's dead, we're even. I just have a problem with someone who bluffs."

"How dare you accuse me of bluffing" Avery huffed. "If you don't believe me, how bout you prove yourself in a little, ah...duel"

Avi's gaze hardened and set on Avery and his mate. She didn't know a single spell, but she was willing to act like she did as long as Teddy did.

"Why not? We'll take you." He glanced at Avi and nodded. "Where to, Avery and- is that Nott?"

"'Course it is." The blonde one stepped up.

"Alright then. Your choice of location. Give yourself a bit of a handicap."

"Right here. No escaping like a coward into compartments. Just this hallway right here." Nott drawled "Unless you're scared, that is"

"Scared? Ha." Teddy whipped his wand out of his cloak as if he'd been practicing for ages (which, embarrassingly, he had). "I'll be the first, Avi is my second. Who's yours?"

Avery looked smug. "I'm the first, Nott is my second." Nott looked as if he was about to protest, but Avery shot him a look.

"So, we bow..." Teddy swept a low bow, and Avery followed suit, albeit reluctantly.

"And we begin."

Avi jumped into the role right away, she pulled out her wand and kept her hand steadily aimed the boys. If worst came to worse, she could always fight without the wand.

"DISARM!" Avery yelled, pointing his wand at Teddy. Nothing happened.

"Oh, Gerard. It's not that easy." Teddy smirked. "That's not a spell. This is. EXPELLIARMUS!"

Avery's wand clattered to the floor.

Avi smirked at Avery's loss. Avery looked over at Nott, as if trying to see if he had anything better than he did.

Nott looked flustered, then shrugged. "Sorry, Ger."

"Surrender." Gerard muttered.

"I'd take your life if I were in a real duel, and if I knew how, and if I wasn't a softie, but since none of those things apply- go on. Scat." Teddy waved his hands, his hair turning a warm brown.

"We aren't done, Lupin!" Nott snarled.

"I'm sure we're not. Go on; play with your little friends. We won't stop you."

Avi relaxed as they walked out of sight. She looked up at Teddy, and Teddy smiled at her, a sparkle in his eyes. She relaxed, very happy that she had met someone like Teddy.

**NOTE: Hey, thank you for reading. This took us hours and hours of work to get this up and running, and all we hope you could take a moment to tell us what you think. Thank you again and stay tuned for more chapters. :) **


	2. Six Years Later

**DISCLAIMER: The world of ****Harry Potter**** and all the characters that live in it belong to J.K. Rowling**

**Chapter: Six Years Later**

_I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends._

_-Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892)_

Teddy was beginning to question his choice of hair color. It was, after all, his senior year, his last year, his final year of Hogwarts. It had to be memorable.

He dragged his suitcase to the train, his owl sitting on his shoulder. He began to get a few odd looks from the Muggle passerby, but he shook it off. They would probably think they saw wrong- a boy with rapidly changing hair color and an owl in shotgun is something you didn't see every day.

He passed through the pseudo pillar casually, and walked onto the train, greeting the few people that waved hello to him, knowing that every one of them only knew him because of his parents. His parents of late and his "parents". He boarded the train, his gangly body straining with effort as he dragged the case behind him. His bag was unusually heavy this year, due to all the books the 7th year required. Teddy took the third compartment down, being early enough to get a good seat in an empty compartment.

Avi slipped through the growing crowd at Kings Cross to get to the train. She wanted to get on the train before most of the other people got there, but that plan was already failing. Luckily for her, she was inexplicably good at getting through crowds fairly unnoticed, and she made it onto the train in record time. She wasn't one of the well-known or popular people (for not all well known people are popular). There seemed to be so many at Hogwarts, but that suited her just fine. Avi was thin and lithe, and not insanely pretty, so the attention wasn't that important to her. It never had been.

She dragged her bag behind her onto the train. She started to poke her head into compartments until she found the one she was looking for. She looked into the compartment that held her closest friend. She had met Teddy since first year, and liked him immediately. They got on fairly well on since the beginning, and were even closer now. She smiled as she saw that Teddy was looking out the window. She grinned.

"Hey, stranger."

The voice had obviously shocked Teddy. Teddy's hair reflected his surprise- it turned a startled orange as he snapped around, but it relaxed back into its blonde-brown shade as he recognized the speaker. "Hey, do I know you from somewhere?" He grinned. "Ah, well. I'll remember it sometime." He tapped the seat opposite him with his toe. "Pop a squat."

The wording got a laugh out of Avi, and she sat down across from Teddy. "How was your summer, Teddy?"

"Brill, brill. Spent a month with Gran." He grimaced. "She sent me home after the full moon though..." His face fell a little more, remembering it. "Anyway, spent a week in Greece, present from Harry and Ginny for my outstanding OWLs... looked after James. It's his first year here, did you know that? I took off early, though, but they were right behind me. He'll make friends fast." He looked to her. "You?"

She smiled at the excitement of his summer and of James coming to Hogwarts, though lost a bit of it at 'Greece', then she sighed.

"Man, Teddy. You're so lucky you have family." Avi's family was killed during the war as well, but she had been living in the orphanage all her life. "I've been working, mostly." She shrugged, but then she grinned. "But I'm out of the orphanage now! I have a little house in muggle London!"

Teddy felt a little guilty at that. At least he had a family. "That's... great, Av. What does it look like?" He smiled genuinely. Avi had always hated being pitied, and he wasn't about to show his.

"It's not very big, but cozy. What I always wanted, actually. You have to come visit sometime when we're out of school" Avi truly sounded excited. She had been dreaming for a house of her own for years.

"Oh, I will!" Teddy grinned. "I'd love that. You're thinking about what you're going to do after you get out of school?"

Avi shrugged noncommittally. "I'm not sure yet. I mean, if I don't find something right away, I always have my regular job to fall back on. What do you think, Ted... I mean Dy" Avi added laughing. She had gotten into the habit last year of calling Teddy 'Dy', because a lot of other people called him Ted.

He glared at her, exasperated. He hated anything but Teddy, really. Yeah, it was really Ted, but that was his grandfather's name. Of course, his grandfather was a great man, but he would rather have his own name, thankyouverymuch.

"Yeah, you're better set up than I am. I still need to get my own place, but I know where I'm going, at least." Teddy sighed blissfully, thinking of Greece and the assistant teacher position he had gotten at the Athens School of Magics, one of the best wizarding schools in Europe, only second to Hogwarts.

Avi sighed softly, nodding. She knew of his thoughts on going to Greece. It made her feel miserable that he would be leaving.

"You're going to be a great teacher, Teddy." She was sure to say his 'better' name this time.

"Thanks, Av." His hair turned an embarrassed red, which made Avi laugh good-naturedly and move to sit next to Teddy.

"You're welcome Teddy. I'll always believe in you, you know that. Remember those Cheer-Up-Teddy speeches I gave you third year?"

"'Course I do. I lived for those." He smiled a little. "You know you're the only one who knows about... you know... Moony?" He used the code word, his father's old school nickname. "You are the best friend EVER. I feel bad keeping you to myself."

Avi grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Teddy. You know that" She leaned over and hugged him.

"Aw, thanks." He hugged her back tightly. "So, whaddaya say? Blonde-brown an okay hair color for the first day or should I do something more audacious?"

"Be daring. You have to make a good impression, and scare all the firsties" She smiled at her reference to Peeves.

"Okay, then. What color?"

"Hmm," She tilted her head to the side in thought, "Well you can REALLY scare everyone and go green, but I think that's a bit daring even for you. Up to you, Teddy my dear"

"Well, I dunno. Maybe..." He changed to red. "Or!" His tips turned black. "Um, maybe not. Too emo." He changed it to black. "Ah!" His tips turned blue. "That's good. Or..." He changed it to copper. "I like this color. It's very nice."

"Very dashing" Avi nodded her approval. "Suits you"

"Thank you." He ruffled his hair. "Okay, what length? I'm not going long, that just looks silly.

Maybe just the slightly longish would work." It grew a little past his ears. "That feels right."

Avi fingered Teddy's hair, and then nodded slightly. "Looks good to me"

"Glad you approve." He shook his head and it landed in his eyes. "I like it. And my face can stay just the way it is. It's me. I want people to think it's me."

"You? Who are you? Kidding! It is you. Very very you. Don't worry"

"I'm glad you think so. Now!" He stood up. "Are we going to pick a fight with Nott and Avery, or no? It's kind of annual, and I don't want to miss it."

"Lets wait a bit longer. Put up more of a show. It IS our last year, after all," She smiled a mixed smile at the thought.

"Ooh, yes." Teddy nodded. "We can get in BIG trouble this year." He gave an evil chuckle. "No doubt they'll be testing out their silly Unforgivables... glad that George came up with that Super Protego charm, they bounce right off of it."

"True. George is just brilliant like that. I don't know how we would survive without his constant... ahem... help." They shared a grin.

"He's got quite a bit invested in our little monthly duels. We'll make him proud, you wait and see." Teddy's tawny peregrine owl cackled a little, and Teddy looked at him. "Don't do that, Dex, it's frightening." Dexter quieted down.

"I swear your owl is a bit wrong in the mind" Avi laughed.

"But he's smart and he gets places bloody fast. He's worth double his weight in galleons." Teddy smiled at Dex, and Dex gave a little caw of happiness, "Even if he's a little evil."

"Ah, just a little" Avi pulled up a leg and rested her arms over it. "You know that Dex definitely kept me company whenever he visited with a letter. Bit me every time, though"

"It's just playful. He doesn't know that he's hurting you. He's like a puppy." He scratched Dexter's head and sat back down.

"A demon happy puppy that flies?" Avi asked with a small laugh.

"He's of a rare breed." Teddy grinned as Dex nested on his head. "So, who do you think we're getting as a DADA teacher this year?"

"I'm thinking someone who is really tough and strict, and not very nice, or actually right out _mean_, but a good teacher. Mark my words!"

"Gack. You're probably right." Teddy stuck out his tongue. "I can't wait to start teaching it at ASfM next year. Eliminate those crabby teachers."

Avi's smile faded slightly, but she nodded in encouragement. "You're just the person to do it."

Teddy watched Avi's smile fade. "Av, I've wanted to do this ever since I was little. I mean, Athens even knows about my furry little problem, and they're willing to make arrangements. If I can chase my dreams, so can you. You know that, right?"

Avi smiled weakly, a bit more than before though. "I know, Teddy. This is what you've always wanted, and I'm so proud of you for going for it. You are really going to be a fantastic teacher. All the kids will love you"

"And you'll do fantastic at whatever you do! You ace all your classes, you got to do programs on academic scholarship, secondary school would kill to have you- you could do anything, love."

Avi realized that Teddy got the wrong impression. It wasn't her own future that she was worried about, but she merely replied "You're right, Teddy." She felt warm inside when he called her 'love,' as she always did.

"Yes. I am." Teddy leaned back, satisfied

It was silent for only a moment when they heard loud bangs in the hallway

"Are we ready?" He asked mischievously.

Avi took a deep breath, and sat up straight, smiling.

"More than ever."

**A/N: Well folks, there's the first full chapter. It's a bit short, but it got in what we needed. Sorry it took a while to get up, but up it is. We'll try to get the next chapter up soon. Please tell us what you think!**

**Till next time,**

**firewhiskeYMuffins**


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